Clutch mechanism.



C. SEITZ.

y CLUTCH MEGHANISM. PPLIUAUON FILED l@11.11, 1911.v

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

CHARLES SEITZ, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

CLUTCH MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

Application led. April 11,` 1911. Serial No. 620,508.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES SEITZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutch Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to clutch mechanism more particularly intended for use in connection with power presses and other similar machines; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed whereby the revolving driven member may be stopped or unclutched at will at any point of its revolution.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the clutch mechanism constructed according to this invention, showing portions of it in section. Fig. 2 is an end view, looking from the left in Fig. 1, and showing the stop-wheel engaged by the stop-pawl. Fig. 3 is an end` view, looking from the right in Fig. 1, and showing the stop-wheel disengaged from the stop-pawl. Fig. l is a cross-section taken on the line m-.r in Fig. 1.

A is the driving member which is usually the hub of a 1ly-wheel.

B is the driven member which is usually a shaft upon which the said hub is mounted. This shaft is journaled in any suitable frame or support C.

D is a clutch-key for connecting the driving and driven members, as described and shown in the patent lof C. E. Pollard, No. 752,100, dated Feb. 16, 1904. In the form of the device shown in this patent the driving and driven members, after being connected by the clutch-key, cannot be disconnected at will until they have made a revolution, but when provided with auxiliary tripping'devices as hereinafter described they can be disconnected at any point of the revolution. As described in the said patent, the clutchkey D is seated in a recess d in the shaft and is provided with cylindrical bearings e and f at its ends. One of these bearings c is journaled in a collar E secured to the shaft at one end of the wheel hub A, and the other bearing f is journaled in a plate or diskV F secured to the shaft by a key f at the other end of the wheel hub.

G is an arm for oscillating the key D. This arm is operatively connected with the key in any approved manner, and it may be formed integral with the key, or separate from it as described in the said patent.

Il is a stop pivoted to the frame C by a pin t, and normally arranged in engagement with the arm Cr as shown in Fig. 1, so that the clutch-key is held wholly in the recess 0l, and the wheel hub A is revolved without revolving the shaft. A rod z/ and a suitable treadle are provided for operating the stop H at will, and when the stop is moved to the right in Fig. 1, out of engagement with the arm Gr, a spring I arranged between the said arm and a lug i on the plate F turns the arm and the clutchkey and moves one portion of the clutchkey into engagement with a groove j in the wheel-hub A. When constructed as described in the said patent, the driving and driven members A and B are uncoupled when the shaft B has made one or more revolutions, by the arm G striking the stop, which is replaced in its path.

According to the present invention, a ratchet toothed stop-wheel 2 is journaled concentric with the shaft or driven member B. This stop-wheel 2 may have any form of teeth on or grooves iniits periphery, and such teeth or grooves may extend wholly or only partially around it. The stopswheel 2 may be mounted in any convenient way, and it is preferablyjournaled on a hub 3 formed on one side of the plate F, and is retained thereon by a ring plate l which is secured to the hub 3 by a screw 5. A stoppawl 6 is pivoted by a pin 7 to a bracket 8, secured to the frame or support C, and 9 is a spring, arranged between the pawl 6 and a lug 10 on the bracket, for forcing the stop-pawl into engagement with the stopwheel. A catch 11 is pivoted by a pin 12 to the bracket 8, and is provided with an arm 13. A spring-pressed pin 14C is carried by a guide 15 on the bracket 8, and this pin normally holds the arm 13 in its raised position, and thereby holds the catch in engagement with the pawl 6, which has previously been retracted out of engagementwith the stop-wheel, as shown in Fig. 3. A lever 16 is pivoted to the bracket 8 by a pin 17, and is connected to the stop-pawl 6 by a pivoted link 18.4 This, lever valords a means :tor retract-ing the stop-pavvl against the pressure of its spring, but any other approved device can be used orvthat purpose, or the stop-pavvl may be retracted by hand. The pivoted stop H is provided with a laterally projecting pin 20, and the free Vend portion of the arm 13 is arranged in the path of this pin. A stop-pin 21 issecured to the stop-wheel 2, and is arranged to project 'through a curved slot 22 or other Y opening in the plate F, so that itmay engage With the arm G on the end of the.

clutch-key.

The clutch-key is operated to couple the driving member to the driven member by moving the stop H to the right in Fig. 1 until it is out of engagement With the arm G and ready to engage with the arm 13. In order to uncouple the driven member, and stop the press at any point of any revolution, the stop H is moved by the rod h farther to the rright in Fig. l, so that it depresses f 'the arm 13 and disengages the stop-pawl from the catch 11. The stop-paWl 6 is pressed by its spring into engagement With the stop-Wheel and arrests its motion, so

y that the arm G on the clutch-key comes in contact With the stop-pin 21 which is held stationary. The arm and the clutch-key are actuated by contact with the stop-pin, and the clutch-key is turned out of engagement With the groove j in the Wheel hub A, thereby disengaging the shaft B so that it ceases to revolve.

The curved slot 22 is made of such a length that the stop-pin is retained in convenient proximity to the arm G, and so that the stop-Wheel 2 may have a limited movement independent of the plate F although it normally revolves with it and the driven member.

rAs the press can be stopped quickly at any point of the revolution of the shaft B, many accidents can be prevented -Which would.

Vthe revolution of the driven member, and

auxiliaryv stop mechanism operatively connected With the said driven member and adapted to be operated at Will to actuate the said arln and thereby disconnect the said members at intermediate points of the revolution of the driven member.

2. In a Vclutch mechanism, the combination, with a driving member, a driven mem- Vmember and provided with a projection for actuating the said arm, a spring-pressed stop-pawl for arresting the motion of the stop-Wheel, and means for normally holding the said stop-pawl out of engagement with the stop-Wheel.

3. In a clutch mechanism, the combination, with a driving member, a driven member, and an oscillatory clutch-key provided With a spring-pressed operating arm and adapted to connect the said members; of a pivoted stop which normally engages with the said arm, a stop-Wheel normally revolving with the driven member and provided With a projection for actuating the said arm, a spring-pressed stop-pavvl for arresting the motion of the stop-Wheel, and a catch for holding the stop-pawlout of engagement with the stop-Wheel, said catch being adapted to be operated by the pivoted stop after said stop has been moved to release the said arm.

4. The combination, With a driving member, a driven member, and an oscillatory yclutch-key provided with a spring-pressed operating arm and adapted to connect the said members; of a plate secured to the driven member and provided with a slot, a stop-Wheel mounted concentric With the said plate and provided with a stop-pin which Works inthe said slot and which is adapted to actuate the said arm, a spring-pressed st-op-paWl for arresting the motion of the stop-Wheel, and means for normally holding the said stop-pawl out of engagement with the stop-Wheel.

5.111 a clutch mechanism, the combination, Wit-h a driving member, a driven member, and an oscillatory clutch-key provided With a spring-pressed.operating arm and adapted to connect the said members; of a stop-Wheel normally revolving with the driven member and provided with a projection for actuating the said arm, a springpressed stop-pawl for arresting the motion of the stop-Wheel, a spring-actuated retaining-catch for holding the stop-pavvl out of engagement with the stop-Wheel, and means for retracting the said stop-pawl out of engagement With the stop-Wheel and into engagement With the said catch.

6. In a clutch mechanism, the combination, With a driving member, a driven member, and an oscillatory clutch-key provided with a spring-pressed operating arln and adapted to connect the said members; of a pivoted stop which normally engages with pivoted stop and adapted to release the stop the said arm, a stop-wlieel normally revolvpawl from the retaining-catch by contact ing With the driven member and provided With its said arm after the said pivoted With a projection for actuating the said arm, catch has been moved to release the operl5 a springepressed stop-paWl for arresting the at-ing arm of the clutch-key.

motion of the stop-Wheel, a pivoted retain- In testimony whereof I have aiixed my ing-catch for engaging With the stop-pawl, signature in the presence of two Witnesses. said catch being provided with a proj ect-ing CHARLES SEITZ. arm, a spring for causing the catch to engage Witnesses:

with the stop-pavvl when the stop-pawl is HIRAM WALK,

retracted, and a pin proj eeting from the said FREDERICK SEITZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, byi addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. "L 

